Shindo stood above the shaking figure of Greed, a smile on his face. Greed looked up at Shindo with more than just a bit of shock and fear in his expression.
Shindo had broken out of his grasp, just when he was this close to completely shattering the boy. Not to mention, it seemed he had stopped holding back like he was before. The fact that Greed couldn't even stand right now was a testament to that.
"Redefine what they mean? What a joke!" Greed began to speak. "You will never be able to escape the true meaning of, "Prince." It will stick with you. Like your shadow. Like a ghost. It will always be lingering in the background, to remind you and others of what you really are. A monster. One who refused to take responsibility for what he destroyed."
It was one last final attempt. One last desperate attempt to try and regain the hold that he had on Shindo's mind. However, it was futile.
"I don't want to hear anything from you."
"Don't think you can escape your past!" Greed shouted out, as he slowly began to stand. "You are the product of your past! Trying to outrun it is futile!"
"Hah! HAHAHAHAH!" Greed looked on in shock as Shindo began to cackle. It was like Greed had told him a joke.
"What..." Greed muttered to himself. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The boy was laughing. Not just laughing, his head was reared back, and he had placed a hand on his stomach.
Shindo suddenly cut off his laughter, turning to look at Greed with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Run? Run from what? Who's running?" His voice gave the impression of someone about to burst back into laughter, but the look in his eyes was a dangerous one.
Greed couldn't even find the words to describe what he was feeling. However, something deep inside of him yearned to add this boy into his collection. Despite the fear that his body felt looking at the eccentric kid, his greed would not be satisfied until he had this kid in his possession.
"I have no reason to run! Not from anything or anyone!" With a quick motion, Shindo had grabbed his spear, which shone brightly in the darkness. The only light in the room currently came from the opening in the wall.
Greed had decided that he wanted to take this battle outside, where there was more visibility and space for him to fight.
He would rely on the souls in his vault which possessed great long-range magic to keep Shindo as far away as possible. He would bring the battle to a place where there were a lot of other people, in order to limit the amount of strength that Shindo could use at once. He would use some of the students as hostages, and once he caught Shindo off guard, he would-
However, Greeds entire strategy was stopped from the get-go.
Shindo fired off a flame spell at the wall, causing part of it to cave and block the exit. It was pitch black dark.
When Greed turned back to take a look at Shindo, he was gone.
Without even hesitating, Greed charged up a large amount of mana and fired off a spell at the blocked off exit, however it was canceled.
"Wha-"
Before he could even think, he could feel a presence in front of him and a bolt of pain shoot through his chest.
Immediately after he felt that shock of pain, he heard the sound of blood splattering on the floor, and steps.
Trying to get his bearings as quickly as possible, he turned around.
He activated a defensive spell, one he had taken from a dojo master in South America, famous for his strength in defensive magic.
However, it was once again cancelled.
Again and again, every time Greed tried to use a spell, it would be canceled.
And every time his spell was canceled, he would be slashed.
The chest, the arm, the leg, Shindo was relentless in his attacks.
Cutting with perfect accuracy in the pitch-black darkness, he was so fast that Greed could only ever catch the after image of his red spear.
Taking steps back, Greed realized that Shindo wasn't trying to kill him. No. The reason he kept cancelling his spells and slashing him was because Shindo was trying to send a message.
He wanted Greed to battle him one on one. Using Sayako's fighting style.
Gritting his teeth, but realizing he had no other choice, Greed summoned a spear.
"I only ever started fighting with a spear until after I had met her."
Shindo began to speak, as greed could hear his steps pacing around in circles.
Greed followed the sound of his footsteps, tense, preparing for an attack at any moment.
"I had asked her why she had chosen a spear, and she told me that it was the main weapon of choice for her family. However, she wasn't the kind of person who would do something just because others would. So, I pressed further."
Shindo's footsteps suddenly stopped. He dashed forward at Greed and feinted, laughing at the way Greed overreacted.
"She had said the reason behind her choosing the spear,"
Shindo dashed once again, but this time, he committed, Slashing and Greed who dodged.
Shindo was quick and by the time Greed had dodged the first slash, there were three more on their way.
It would be impossible to accurately dodge them all in the darkness, and so Greed intercepted them with his own spear, although just barely.
In that moment, the sparks released from the clash of weapons illuminated the darkness. For a brief moment, the two combatants could see each other.
Greed was horrified to see Shindo with a smile on his face. Not just a smile of happiness, but a sinister one. The one of a hunter who had just found his prey.
"Was because it symbolized prowess in the hunt." Shindo said this just before they were plunged back into the darkness.
And there began the duel in darkness.
Greed played the fight out on the defensive. Not because he wanted to, but instead, because Shindo was just too fast.
Two horizontal slashes followed by a kick.
Not letting up for even a second Shindo continued to press Greed.
Greed blocked another slash, but he felt pain in his arm as Shindo had already moved on to his next string of attacks.
Greed jumped backwards, but Shindo was already behind him, and he delivered a viscous kick to Greeds lower back.
Greed was sent flying, but mid-flight, Shindo appeared on top of him, and used his spear to pin Greed to the ground, causing it to crack.
"What's going on!" Shindo's voice was filled with glee and excitement. "Don't tell me that your already done."
In response, Greed jabbed his spear at Shindo's face, but Shindo grabbed it, before pulling on it so hard that it brought Greed to his feet.
Immediately after, Greed's entire body crumpled around Shindo's fist, as he was hit by the gut punch of a lifetime.
CRASSSHH!
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Sent straight into a wall, he wasn't even given time to revel in the pain of his four broken ribs, as there was suddenly a spear in his leg.
"AGHHHHHHHHH!" Greed lashed out with his spear, hoping to get some sort of hit, but he was simply slashing air.
Collapsing unto his knees, Greed couldn't decide if he wanted to grab his leg, or curl into a ball and caress his chest.
"Ahhhh." He exhaled in pain. He couldn't use magic. He couldn't escape. He couldn't fight against Shindo.
What the hell could he do! Just why was this boy so monstrous! He was treating Greed like a deer. Prey to be hunted. And judging from the excited sounds that Shindo made every time he landed a blow, he was enjoying every single moment of it.
All he could see was Shindo's afterimage as he moved. He could not land a blow on Shindo.
It was like trying to fight a Ghost.
Suddenly Greed could her Shindo dash towards him, and he dragged himself unto his feet, blocking the incoming slashes.
As Shindo went for another attack, Greed opted for another desperate strategy. He summoned two other spears and tossed the one in his hands in front of him.
Shindo curved out of the way of thrown spear, just like Greed had hoped.
Greed now brough the two spears he had summoned down in an arcing slash. If it had landed, it would have undoubtedly done a crazy amount of damage. Near lethal, in fact.
However, the blow never landed.
His arms. They had been cut off.
Before he could even register that, he was hit by Shindo's spear. Like a baseball bat launched out of the arena in a homerun, Greed was sent flying out of the student council room, and rolling unto the ground, screaming and writhing as white-hot pain encompassed his body.
"AHGHGAHHAGHAHHH! AHGAHGHGAHAHGH! AHGHAAHGH!"
His screams of agony echoed throughout the hallway.
He flopped up and down, left and right, like a fish out of water. Trying to find his arms. Where were they? What-
He lost all his breath as the presence of death entered the hallway.
Greed looked behind him in shock. Red eyes that gleamed with hatred. An aura so strong it threatened to collapse the very ground. A red spear.
Death. He was death incarnate.
Greed began to crawl. As quickly as he could without arms. He dragged his useless body as far as it would go. He hated it. He hated it. it hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.It hurt.It hurt. It hurt.v It hurt.It hurt. It hurt.It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
As he crawled, in indescribable agony, Greed thought back. His life flashed before his eyes.
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GREED: intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.
Tenkyu hated those who were selfish with all of his might. Those who had the ability to help others but still choose not to. He hated them so much. Just who did they think they were. Damned bastards!
He was always less fortunate in life. His wealthy father had left him and his mother to fend for themselves to pursue a series of affairs. One might say, he couldn't keep it in his pants.
His mother was not rich. She worked two jobs and was an alcoholic. Despite their bad financial situation, she would gamble.
Tenkyu dropped out of school, in order to get a job. It didn't help that he possessed mana. Normal people looked at him like he was more despicable than he already was, considering he was poor.
Thats when his hatred of the wealthy came in. Just why did they get to have everything and he was left with nothing. that wasn't just or fair!
Eventually his mother fell ill. In a desperate attempt to try and afford the surgery she needed, he found his father and got on his knees. he begged, he prostrated himself, he offered to give his whole life away, so that they could afford the surgery.
However, his father declined. Why should he have to spend his money to help those who are below him?
Tenkyu couldn't understand it. If you already had so much, why wouldn't you share if it won't hurt you? If you already possess so much, why would you want more?
His mother died. At the hands of greed.
He never spoke to his father again. Tenkyu was an adult, as so he was saddled with all of his mother's debt.
After that moment, Tenkyu began to hate, those who were greedy. He despised people who wouldn't help others if they had nothing to lose, and everything to give.
And so, despite his horrible life, Tenkyu spent it trying to help other people. Anybody he could. Even if he was less fortunate, he would still do anything to help someone who was struggling.
However, it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. Not at all.
It was all to make himself feel better than his father. Then all of the greedy bastards of the world.
Every time he helped someone it allowed him to fell superior to those who didn't, while also providing him with a reason to feel bad for himself. For others to feel guilty about themselves.
Look at me. I have nothing, and yet I still give everything to help others. What about you, those of you who are more fortunate than me?
And so that was how he lived. In a manner that was solely meant to groom his ego while also giving him an excuse.
As to why he wasn't anything in life.
There were many times when he was given a chance. There was a time that he had helped a young girl from an assault, and as a thanks, her father offered him a job. Tenkyu declined, however. At the time, he had said it was because he was already working somewhere, however in truth, he still wanted to play the victim. The poor soul that was trampled upon by the world's greed and selfishness.
He wanted to be pitied. Not helped.
There was another instance, where he had helped an old man who was also homeless. He helped the man carry his items, move to a better area, and even collected donations for him. At the end of the whole thing, when the old man tried to thank him and help him in return, Tenkyu snapped.
"Just shut it alright! Shut up and leave! Leave me be!"
He couldn't look at the man anymore. It reminded him of his own weakness. His own situation. Like looking into a mirror.
Underfoot, he crushed the broken mirror he had been staring into.
However he never stopped helping others.
It was the same routine. He decided to help out this girl, when he was led into a setup.
Beat half to death. He had heard of this before. Groups of people who would lure unsuspecting magicians out under the guise of a innocent request, before catching them off guard and beating them as badly as possible.
His will to help, had led him here. It was karma. Because despite the virtuous actions he performed, it all came from the selfishness deep down in his heart.
At that moment, as he wished for death to come, he saw her. The witch. A girl the height of a child, maybe 11-13 years old. Dressed in white.
She leaned down over him.
"You want it all don't you?" She asked simply. She had read him perfectly. The reason he hated greed and those who practiced it so much was not because of the people they didn't help.
It was because he was envious of them. Of how much they had, and he didn't.
He nodded weakly.
"I will give you the power to have everything in the entire world. However, in return, dedicate the rest of your life to helping me complete my mission. I want to find something. Or someone. In return for this gift, all I ask is you spend the rest of your life helping me achieve this."
Tenkyu agreed. What other choice did he have.
With a kiss on the forehead, Tenkyu felt invigorated. His injuries were gone. He felt powerful. And at the same time, he heard a voice speak in his head.
■■■■■: How many thousands of years has it been?
Tenkyu froze.
The witch of vainglory spoke.
"Hold this. And when the time is right. You will gift it to someone. You will use your ability, and achieve your ultimate act of selflessness."
With that, Greed was born.
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What did he do to deserve this end? To feel such pain at the hands of a monster.
Greed though this to himself as he desperately tried to crawl away from Shindo. He was almost there too. A few inches, and he'd reach the stairs.
Behind him, he could hear the slow footsteps of Shindo. He was taking in the moment, enjoying every second of the desperate, armless Greed attempting to crawl away.
"Hadn't I already been punished back then? Why, why do I deserve thi-"
His cries were cut off, as Shindo plunged his spear into Greed, right through the heart.
"You destroyed god knows how many lives. Today. Back then. You separated Sayako from her family. Plagued the people here with pain. Your Greed brought you to this end."
For what felt like a long moment, nothing happened. Shindo was hesitating. He had only ever killed one person before. The very assassin that had tried to kill him. And even then, in a situation where his life was on the line, he still felt horrible about that act. Immediately after taking that man's life, he threw up for what felt like an entirety.
He didn't want to have to kill. Especially in this case, where he would be killing a completely defenseless man. A cripple. However, when he thought of what this person did, and what he had taken, he knew it was the only choice.
Below him, Greed began to cry. A faint sound. He was pathetically crying.
"Please. Please. I, I just wanted to, I just wanted to help. Unlike that bastard who called himself my father. I did good. Why did it end like this? Why does the world hate me? After everything I've done. For all I helped, I can't even get a little respite in the end.
Once again Shindo's will waver. This pitiful sight. This pitiful man. Would Shindo really have to be the one to end him? Why couldn't someone else do it. Shindo didn't want to feel that way again. Never again. He remembered his first kill, and even now, looking at his hands, he could see the bloodstains. He was about to have Greed's blood on his hands as well.
However, he could hear Sayako's voice in the back of his mind. It told him that he couldn't run away from it. He shouldn't. He had to do this, not out of vengeance for her, but to do what was right.
Even then, why was Shindo preceding with this killing?
There was the fact that he needed to kill Greed in order to get the people trapped in his vault out, but he couldn't hide behind the excuse.
If that wasn't the case, why was he killing this defenseless, pitiable man, pleading above for help?
"God, If this is a punishment, I understand! If taking away my arms was something that you did because I didn't help enough, then I'm sorry. It's just, when I got this power, my life was fixed! I would never want again, so I didn't feel the need to seek pity. Please, God forgive me!"
With every word the man spoke, it became harder and harder for Shindo to rationalize killing him. He had to confront the truth.
Although there may be vengeance in this kill, it would not be his main objective. He did not kill for revenge.
He would kill Greed in order to gain back what he stole and rid the world of a monster.
Shindo steeled himself.
Sometimes, killing was necessary.
He would never get to use to it though. He promised himself that.
"God, please forgive me." Shindo Reiterated Greeds words.
With that, Shindo twisted the spear.
Greed was killed.
For a long moment, Shindo stared at the body.
A flash of white. As Greeds ability was undone, things slowly began to come back, returning to their original place. He could hear the voices of scared students inside the P.A system room.
However, Shindo could not take his eyes off of the body.
He etched the image of what he had done in his mind.
He would never forget.